Pakistan on Tuesday confirmed yet another case of the crippling poliovirus, this time in Balochistan, taking the number in 2024 to 46.

“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of another wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case in Pakistan,” according to an official statement.

The lab confirmed detection of the virus in a male child hailing from Killa Saifullah district of Balochistan, bringing the number of total cases in the country this year to 46.

This is the second polio case from Killa Saifullah, where several environmental samples have tested positive for WPV1. So far, 23 cases have been reported from Balochistan province, 12 from Sindh province, nine from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

The statement added that the WPV1 has been detected in 76 districts, indicating widespread circulation of the virus and a continued serious risk to children’s well-being from a disease that can paralyse them for life.

Pakistan on October 28 started its third nationwide polio immunisation drive to vaccinate 45 million children.

Balochistan, the most affected province this year, is where campaign implementation faced challenges in previous months due to localised protests and pockets of insecurity.

However, efforts to end polio are facing serious setbacks as militant attacks and misinformation hinder vaccination efforts.

Last week, nine people, including five children, were killed in a bombing targeting police guarding vaccine teams.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries in the world where polio remains endemic, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

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